1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A multi function printer (MFP) has a preview function that allows advance checking of an image, which is an output result, by displaying the image on the screen of an operation display unit when the image is output from the MFP. For example, a user checks, in advance, image quality (density, sharpness, color shade, and the like), editing (binding margin, combination printing, and the like), and post-processing (stapling position, punching position, and the like).
In an MFP with low power consumption, its mode is changed to a sleep mode while the MFP is in the stand-by state when the MFP is not being used by a user so as to turn off and stop an operation display unit, which is one of the units that uses a lot of electricity; thus, the power consumption is reduced. If an instruction (pressing of a copy button, a print command from a network, or the like) is received from a user, the MFP is turned on and returned from the stand-by state, so the sleep mode is changed to the normal operating mode.
With respect to the operation display unit whose power consumption is to be reduced, if a display method (the brightness, or the like) is switched even during the normal operation, the power consumption can be reduced. However, the reduction in the power consumption makes it difficult to ensure the viewability of a display unit; therefore, a user uniformly adjusts (adjust the brightness of) the entire operation display unit on a case-by-case basis according to the usage environment. For this reason, there is a problem in that the power consumption cannot be effectively reduced by switching a display method, such as the brightness, during the normal operation while maintaining the viewability for a user.
For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-166515, an image display unit includes a two-level brightness control unit whereby, during the normal operation, the image display unit is operated in a low power-consumption mode with low brightness and, if a shutter button is pressed halfway during a shooting-preparation operation, the image display unit is operated with higher brightness than normal brightness. Thus, a reduction in power consumption and an improvement in battery duration are achieved while desired viewability during shooting is ensured.
In the conventional MFP that is described above, because various details and conditions are to be checked in image previewing, the viewability needs to be maintained according to the checked details while the power consumption is effectively reduced. For example, there is a problem in that, because securing a reduction in power consumption has a high priority, the viewability is not sufficiently maintained and, as a result, there is a possibility of an erroneous copy operation.